Grandmother, Stepmom Accused Of Running 9-Year-Old Girl To Death

**DamagedGoods** · February 22nd, 2012, 07:24 PM

Heinous bitches.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/16990061/s...by-grandmother

A nine-year-old girl was "run to death" by her grandmother as punishment for eating candy on a school bus, Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin said Wednesday in a news conference.

The girl, Savannah Hardin, apparently ate a candy bar while on the school bus Friday, Feb. 17. She apparently had a bladder condition that could have been worsened by eating the candy, according to the sheriff.

Entrekin says the girl's grandmother, Joyce Hardin Garrard, allegedly punished Savannah for eating the candy and lying to her by making her run without stopping around the house for about three hours. The incident happened at a residence at 20 Carlisle Acres Drive in the Carlisle community.

**Tundratot** · February 22nd, 2012, 07:31 PM

Seriously?!! She had a bladder condition that might be worsened by candy (e.g. sugar in her urine). So the answer is to exhaust her, dehydrate her, cause muscular breakdown? Killing her is better than just having her drink some water and watching her closely? Heinous bitches is an understatement.

**Whisper** · February 22nd, 2012, 08:34 PM

UPDATE: Stepmom charged with murder gives birth

Joyce Hardin Garrard (left) and Jessica Mae Hardin (right) have been charged in Savannah Hardin's death.

The Hardin home, where Savannah Hardin was allegedly made to run around the house for three hours without stopping.

ETOWAH COUNTY, AL (WBRC) -
The stepmother charged with the murder of her nine-year-old stepdaughter in Etowah County has given birth in a Gadsden hospital while under the guard of sheriff's deputies.

Jessica Mae Hardin, 26, is charged in the death of her stepdaugher Savannah Hardin. Savannah was allegedly "run to death" by her grandmother as punishment for eating candy on a school bus, Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin said Wednesday in a news conference.

Savannah apparently ate a candy bar while on the school bus Friday, Feb. 17. She apparently had a bladder condition that could have been worsened by eating the candy, according to the sheriff.

Entrekin says the girl's grandmother, Joyce Hardin Garrard, allegedly punished Savannah for eating the candy and lying to her by making her run without stopping around the house for about three hours. The incident happened at a residence at 20 Carlisle Acres Drive in the Carlisle community.

Around 6:45 p.m. Friday, Savannah's stepmom, Jessica Hardin, called 911 to report that her stepdaughter was having seizures and was unresponsive. Savannah was taken first to a hospital in Gadsden and then airlifted to Children's Hospital in Birmingham.

Savannah's father was working for the government overseas when he was notified about his daughter's condition. He took eight flights to get home and made it to the hospital four hours before Savannah was taken off the ventilator. Savannah died at approximately 12 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20. Her body was taken to Huntsville for an autopsy and ruled a homicide by a state pathologist.

The preliminary reports show she was severely dehydrated and her 65-pound frame was in a condition similar to a marathon runner without water, Entrekin said. She also had low sodium levels.

"Basically she was caused to undergo physical exertion to the point in time where she just got dehydrated and her electrolyte levels got to the point where she couldn't survive life," Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp said.

Savannah's grandmother, Joyce Hardin Garrard, 46, and her stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, 27, have both been charged with murder in her death. The stepmother, Jessica Hardin, was considered Savannah's primary caregiver since her father was away working overseas. Hardin was apparently home at the time of the incident and was consequently given the same murder charge as Savannah's grandmother for not stopping the punishment.

Both Garrard and Hardin are in the custody of the Etowah County Detention Center on bonds of $500,000 each. A source on the MyFoxAl.com Facebook page said Hardin had given birth to a baby Wednesday afternoon. The Etowah County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Hardin was being guarded by deputies at a local hospital.

The charges against Garrard and Hardin could be upgraded, possibly to capital murder, as the investigation continues.

Another child, Savannah's three-year-old stepbrother, was also in the home when the incident occurred.

The Etowah County Sheriff's Office became involved in the case when concerned citizens called to report what they had seen.

"It's sad when a family is grieving over the death of a daughter and granddaughter and so soon to find out that the death could have been prevented. My thoughts and prayers are with the family," Entrekin said.

Jimmie Harp, the Etowah County District Attorney, called Savannah's death "a very tragic situation."

"A very, you know, unnecessary act. From what we can tell, taking of a candy bar turned into [an] all-day marathon, so to speak, type physical PE type exercise until the point of time she just collapsed. We're very disturbed by that," Harp said.

Prior to Savannah's death, Alabama Department of Human Resources was already looking into abuse allegations. They released the following statement in response to our enquiry about abuse complaints:

"The Department has one pending investigation concerning Savannah Hardin that allegedly occurred in another state involving an alleged perpetrator that resides in that state. We are working with law enforcement in the other state to conduct interviews in that state," Barry Spear with Alabama DHR said.
[...]

http://www.wtvm.com/story/16990061/s...by-grandmother

Savannah

**DamagedGoods** · February 22nd, 2012, 08:59 PM

TY @Whisper for the update & for posting the cunts' mugs.

I can't understand how ANYONE could think that forcing a child to run for 3 hours straight is an appropriate punishment for, of all things, eating a chocolate bar on the school bus.

How many adults could even run non stop that long?

**Whisper** · February 22nd, 2012, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by DamagedGoods

TY @Whisper for the update & for posting the cunts' mugs.

I can't understand how ANYONE could think that forcing a child to run for 3 hours straight is an appropriate punishment for, of all things, eating a chocolate bar on the school bus.

How many adults could even run non stop that long?

yw I just happened across the article and saw it was a thread
Disgusting what they did to that child
We want another one so bad and are waiting till hubbys done his chemo and stuff and see where we are at
But all these neglected/abused ones we want,
Dont want newborns they terrify me
These people have no clue what they have

**Chinchillazilla** · February 22nd, 2012, 09:34 PM

I remember running a few miles at one time once and feeling like my lungs were literally bleeding inside. I can't imagine running for three goddamn hours. That poor child.

**Whisper** · February 22nd, 2012, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by Chinchillazilla

I remember running a few miles at one time once and feeling like my lungs were literally bleeding inside. I can't imagine running for three goddamn hours. That poor child.

I run everyday
have for years and I can go 10 on a good day
but since my gall bladder acted up last spring I havent passed 8 miles
I would die running 3 hours let alone a child that doesnt normally do it
Totally fucking torture and I hope it is upgraded to capitol murder

**sinfulplezurz702** · February 22nd, 2012, 09:48 PM

A bladder condition made worse by a candy bar? Uhhh...WRONG! More like a child abuse condition made worse by 2 worthless evil bitches! That poor lil girl.

**Tundratot** · February 22nd, 2012, 10:57 PM

Prior to Savannah's death, Alabama Department of Human Resources was already looking into abuse allegations. They released the following statement in response to our enquiry about abuse complaints:

"The Department has one pending investigation concerning Savannah Hardin that allegedly occurred in another state involving an alleged perpetrator that resides in that state. We are working with law enforcement in the other state to conduct interviews in that state," Barry Spear with Alabama DHR said.

This doesn't surprise me at all. I would suspect that we had another evil stepmother and this time her evil mother along to help her out in her evility.

A bladder condition made worse by a candy bar? Uhhh...WRONG! More like a child abuse condition made worse by 2 worthless evil bitches! That poor lil girl.

I agree. I believe, having had many bladder infections, that the medical establishment usually says to not consume a lot of sugar that would contribute to the growth of the bacteria. These heinous bitches had probably already hurt the girl's health by denying her access to the bathroom or even by refusing her enough hydration. That should would actually run until she dropped and seized alone says volumes.

**Shadow** · February 22nd, 2012, 11:39 PM

ok, so what should we do with these two cows? Should we force feed them a fuqtonne of sugary candy and make them run until they drop from seizures? Or, do we take them out in the public square, tie them to a post (or put them in stocks) and beat them to within inches of their idiot lives?

Personally, I'd rather draw & quarter the bitches. Just get it done, as painfully as possible... I'd like nothing more than for them to know the true fucking meaning of pain.

no fucking love,
~shadow

**VAS1326** · February 23rd, 2012, 02:39 AM

Originally Posted by DamagedGoods

TY @Whisper for the update & for posting the cunts' mugs.

I can't understand how ANYONE could think that forcing a child to run for 3 hours straight is an appropriate punishment for, of all things, eating a chocolate bar on the school bus.

How many adults could even run non stop that long?

I was thinking the same thing. 1 hour straight is a long time especially with no water or fluids of any sort. How much longer were they planning on keeping her running? I'm glad the step-mother is being charged. She just sat there and let it happen. She's just as guilty.

**sinfulplezurz702** · February 23rd, 2012, 04:38 AM

I say we let some vicious rabid dogs or wild animals loose on their asses and see how long they can run...

**Marv** · February 23rd, 2012, 05:35 AM

Originally Posted by Tundratot

That should would actually run until she dropped and seized alone says volumes.

I agree, @Tundratot. If I tried to make my kids run around the house as a punishment, they might do a couple of laps, but no way would they continue once they got hot, tired and thirsty. That child was seemingly so scared of those two monsters that she carried on until her little body could take no more. Too scared to stop even for a drink, she literally carried on until she dropped.

It's never even once entered my mind to force physical exercise on my kids as a punishment. They get time out or grounded, or they do chores, or they have to give up their computer/games time. Once or twice I've had them sit and write lines, too - ''I must not pull my sister hair'', or whatever (drills the message home and improves their writing!)

I've read a few cases on here where the child has had to do physical exercise to the point of exhaustion. I can't understand the thinking behind it. It can't be done in prisons, not even to murderers. But these two rtards though it was ok to do it to this little girl because she ate a candy bar.

**Morbid** · February 23rd, 2012, 12:40 PM

GADSDEN, ALA. –* The grandmother and stepmom of 9-year-old Savannah Hardin*are currently in jail, both accused of forcing the girl to run for three hours straight until she had a seizure and later died. According to police, 46-year-old*Joyce Hardin Garrard and 27-year-old Jessica Mae Hardin,*were punishing the girl for eating candy bars and then lying about it. They forced her to run around their double-wide trailer until she eventually collapsed. Her mother called 911 but Savannah would die days later at the hospital. Her father was working overseas when he found out that his daughter was in the hospital and took eight flights to be with her. Four hours later, Savannah would be taken off the ventilator. A state pathologist ruled Savannah’s death a homicide after finding*she was extremely dehydrated and had a very low sodium level at the time of her death, suffering from*a condition common in marathon runners. “Basically she was caused to undergo physical exertion to the point in time where she just got dehydrated and her electrolyte levels got to the point where she couldn’t survive life,” Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp said. Both women were arrested and charged with murder, but as the investigation continues, those*charges could be upgraded to capital murder as the investigation continues. At Savannah’s school, her*desk has been turned into a memorial where children*have been leaving messages and hand-drawn pictures. Yesterday afternoon, Jessica Hardin gave birth at*a Gadsden hospital while under the guard of sheriff’s deputies.
This article is from The Dreamin' Demon, the Internet's self-appointed buzzkill.

More...

**Tundratot** · February 23rd, 2012, 01:22 PM

@ohmarvellousme! I can see using physical exercise as a punishment, mostly in the case that the child(ren) need to burn off some energy. When they get too rowdy in the in the car and they won't shut up, make them get out and walk for a while. (No, I wouldn't abandon them, but either follow at a distance or go ahead a little way.) Or, when they are in the house shouting and fighting and generally being a nuisance, I would send them out to run around the house for a lap or two. They hate that idea, but it serves to burn their energy off a bit.

**TheMorningStar** · February 23rd, 2012, 04:44 PM

An Alabama woman has given birth the same day she was arrested for the death of her 9-year-old stepdaughter, who authorities say died after being forced to run for three hours as punishment for eating a candy bar.

Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp says Jessica Mae Hardin is under guard at a hospital after giving birth Wednesday.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/s...1#.T0akz_UuF18

**Tundratot** · February 23rd, 2012, 06:59 PM

The Alabama Department of Human Resources has been called in to create a safety plan for Jessica's newborn, as well as the couple's 3-year-old son, Harp said.

Department spokesman Barry Spear says the older child has been placed with a relative, and the plan is for the infant to be given to the same relative when it leaves the hospital. Speak said he could not reveal with whom the children were placed.

Savannah had a bladder condition common to young girls that meant she shouldn't have chocolate because of the caffeine content, Harp said. He said there is no evidence that the condition contributed to her death. . . .

The girl was taken to Children's Hospital in Birmingham where she was kept on life support while Robert Hardin, a contractor with the U.S. State Department, took eight flights to return to Alabama.

"It must have been horrible," Harp said, "especially for what he saw when he got back."

Robert Hardin made the decision to pull Savannah off life support, and she died on Monday.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...#ixzz1nFSodNQf

Those two children are Hardin's with her husband Robert. He was in Pakistan working as a contractor with the U.S. State Department when he heard the news about his older daughter Savannah, Harp said . . . .

Savannah's mother lives in Florida and did not have custody, Harp said.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/23/justic...rge/index.html

**Tundratot** · February 23rd, 2012, 07:07 PM

The 9-year-old third grader who Alabama officials said was run to death by her grandmother in Attalla, Ala., on Monday has ties to Lakeland and a history of familial investigations from across the state, an official with the Department of Children and Families said.

Heather Hardin . . . the mother of Savannah Hardin, could not be reached Thursday at her modest, single-story home just north of the city. Attempts to contact her by phone were unsuccessful also.

According to DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner, DCF investigated the child’s living arrangements several times between 2007 and 2009. In each case, Heather Hardin was the target of those investigations, Hoeppner said.

Officials with DCF said they anticipate releasing a cache of records regarding those investigations soon. . . .

Griffith said the family alleges the child had a bladder condition and wasn't supposed to have chocolate because of it. However, there has been no evidence to indicate the child had a bladder condition.

Reid said it is not appropriate to talk about many of the specifics, but the nature of the case is troubling. . . .

Griffith said punishment for children has to be made on a case-by-case basis, and Reid said “common sense should tell you they stepped over the line.” . . .

Court records show Savannah's father filed a complaint in a divorce case in July 2010 after he believed his son had ingested a possible poisonous substance while in the care of his mother, Jessica Hardin. The child was flown to Children's Hospital because of the illness. He recovered.

However, the divorce case between the Hardins was dismissed in an agreement in January 2011.

http://www.theledger.com/article/201...s-in-Lakeland-

**Shadow** · February 23rd, 2012, 08:15 PM

RIP, sweet lil' girl. Savannah, may the Angels keep you safe in Heaven.

GRRRRRRRRRR!

~shadow

**Whisper** · February 23rd, 2012, 08:19 PM

My mom was here for her birthday and this came on the news and my moms got alzheimers and first words out of her mouth were"why didnt the neighbors do something"
And I had to rewatch the news,I had thought this was inside the house but ACCORDING TO THE NEWS and neighbors that were on "they knew it was wrong and shouldve called someone"
Wow,,really???
If I had neighbors like that, the fucking phone with CPS predialed into it would be welded to my head

**ineedanap** · February 23rd, 2012, 11:15 PM

I am a stepparent, so I have some feelings on this. But where was bio-mom, and why didn't she have custody of the kids? Especially given the dad was overseas?? WYF to her, for leaving her kid to whatever. I am not so sure dad should be charged, I think he might have thought he was doing the best he could. This is a tough one.

**Marv** · February 24th, 2012, 07:25 AM

Savannah's father filed a complaint in a divorce case in July 2010 after he believed his son had ingested a possible poisonous substance while in the care of his mother, Jessica Hardin. The child was flown to Children's Hospital because of the illness. He recovered.

However, the divorce case between the Hardins was dismissed in an agreement in January 2011.

I wonder if the divorce was dismissed because he would have been stuck for someone to care for little Savannah while he was overseas? He must have had serious misgivings about leaving her with that neglectful bitch if he believed his son had been made ill by ingesting poison while in her 'care'.

They both sound like bone-idle bitches. Too much trouble to properly supervise a toddler. Too much trouble to think of an appropriate punishment for Savannah. Would sending her to her room or giving her chores have been too much effort? So they send her out to run in the heat and forget about her instead. ''Just keep running 'till we say you can stop'', and then on goes the TV and Savannah is a million miles away from their tiny minds.

And I can't get past the fact that this was all over a candy bar, ffs. Was it Joyce or Jessica's favourite candy? The last one in the house? Had they been saving it for a special occasion? Was it the one with the golden ticket? A fucking bar of candy.

However, there has been no evidence to indicate the child had a bladder condition.

No bladder condition. They just wanted an excuse to hurt and humiliate her.

And I agree that the neighbours are beyond useless too. They saw, they knew it was wrong, but they did nothing. And now they have to live with the fact of that little girl's death, and that they could have done something.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 24th, 2012, 07:32 PM

Savannah Hardin's life was in turmoil long before police say the 9-year-old was run to death by her grandmother and stepmother for allegedly lying about some candy she ate.

Divorce and custody documents filed in family court over a period of several years reflect a history of fractured family relationships, with Savannah's divorced parents fighting over her welfare; claims of mental instability and abuse between her father and his second wife; medical problems that required frequent doctor visits; and counseling for the girl who still somehow managed to remain among the top students in her third-grade class.
[...]

Many who knew Savannah described her as normal and happy. She played and laughed with other kids at the bus stop, and sometimes rode a four-wheeler with her dad when he visited, they said. She loved horses and her favorite colors were lime green, hot pink and ocean blue, Johnson said in her statement.

Court documents filed by Savannah's father, Robert Hardin, last May show she attended counseling sessions every other week but seemed well adjusted.

But the records also tell a different story, that of a brief life rocked by tumult.

Robert and Savannah's biological mother, Heather Hardin, divorced in July 2006 when she was 3, the records show. The former couple shared custody of the girl, but the mother was her primary caregiver.

Each one of the parents later moved separately to Florida, according to a sworn statement by Robert Hardin. Hardin claimed that Heather Hardin was unfit to care for Savannah and that the child began living with him in October 2009. He said they moved northeast of Birmingham in January 2010. Hardin later married Jessica Mae, with whom he had a son, now 3.

Hardin works for the U.S. State Department and lived outside the country, so Jessica Mae and Joyce Hardin Garrard cared for Savannah and the boy, said a spokeswoman for the Etowah County Sheriff's office, Natalie Barton. Hardin and Jessica split in July 2010, court documents show, with him claiming she had bipolar disorder and alcoholic tendencies. She, in turn, accused him of mental and physical abuse, including pushing her against a wall and throwing her onto a sofa. She also accused him of transferring ownership of the mobile home to Hardin Gerrard to prevent Jessica from getting it in the divorce. Despite claiming they could no longer live together, the two reconciled by late 2010.

Court documents also show Savannah had an unspecified medical condition that required continuous medication and treatment, including monthly visits with her regular doctor and trips every few months to see a urologist in Birmingham, about 60 miles away.

Authorities say the grandmother became angry when Savannah allegedly ate chocolate, because it contains caffeine, and the girl was not supposed to ingest caffeine given her condition.
[...]

While court documents show the girl's biological mother, Heather Hardin, hadn't been able to see her in months, an ex-husband said the woman rushed to Alabama from Florida in time to see Savannah in the hospital before she died.
[...]

With both Joyce Garrard and Jessica Hardin in police custody, state welfare officials said a relative is now caring for Savannah's younger half-brother. The same person will care for Jessica Mae Hardin's newborn, they said.

Friends and strangers alike have posted scores of messages on a remembrance site set up on Facebook, with many of them saying they wished something could have been done to save Savannah's life.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...fe55ad1b6644bf

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pray-...01861399868496

**Marv** · February 24th, 2012, 07:42 PM

girl who still somehow managed to remain among the top students in her third-grade class.

despite all the shit going on in her life, this 9 year old child still managed to keep it together in school. Seemingly ALL the adults around her were far more immature than she was, but she was the one to pay the ultimate price.

Kids caught up in the middle of adult shit. And the kids always lose. Every time. If only adults could be more like kids, see things the way they do, in simple terms, then maybe Savannah and others like her would be OK.

My heart is aching over this, it really is. Such a gorgeous little girl.

RIP, Savannah.

**zebraprintt** · February 24th, 2012, 10:49 PM

hollyshit. that's what im saying!
they made her run for three hours straight,what did they do to her if she stopped
running? that's what i want to know.i don't think a young girl like her could actually run for that long
without collapsing on the floor from being tired as fuck.
and the step mother was obviously in on it,if someone did that to my step child
i would go ape shit!

**Whisper** · February 25th, 2012, 12:11 AM

Savannah & 1 of Her Killers

**DamagedGoods** · February 25th, 2012, 01:13 AM

I don't buy that they disciplined her because the chocolate bar had caffeine that wasn't good for her, I believe it was because she lied to them, because they were disobeyed.

**cubby** · February 25th, 2012, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by DamagedGoods

I don't buy that they disciplined her because the chocolate bar had caffeine that wasn't good for her, I believe it was because she lied to them, because they were disobeyed.

think so, too, they were thinking that she was DEFYING them, as if a kid can think that far past a candy bar being offered to them by a friend on the school bus, she probably thought they'd never know, that is even if she knew they cared that much. Could still be an excuse for the punishment, they may think this makes them sound like they care so much for Savannah.

**Tundratot** · February 25th, 2012, 03:28 AM

I really don't care if it was the eating or the lying, neither merited death. And I would point out that this overkill (literally) suggests to me that they were depriving that child in more ways than one. How did they figure out she'd had chocolate? Why do they look so rounded while she doesn't? Let's just say I have some deep suspicions that there was a pattern of abuse going on that has yet to be revealed. We're just seeing the tip of the iceberg.

**Ninja0980** · February 25th, 2012, 08:46 AM

I once took too many cookies from the cookie jar despite being told not to. I had my Gameboy taken away for the weekend. Even at my worst,resorting to torture was never part of my parent's displine plans.
And that's what this was,pure torture.
If it hadn't been the candy bar,it would have been something else.